Fire escape



J. H. BRIGGS Feb. 21, 1939.

FIRE ESCAPE Filed July 19, 1937 FIG. 3.

FIG. 2

nnenfor JAMES H. BRIGGS FIG.

Cittomeg Patented Feb. 21, 1939 2,147,624

UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE FIRE ESCAPE James H. Briggs, Poughkeepsie, N. Y.

Application July 19, 1937, Serial No. 154,449

1 Claim. (C1. 227-30) This inventio-n relates primarily to a fire escape comprises a supporting bracket Id which is atof the rope type which is attached to a window tached to the inside of the window casing 42 by casing for the lowering of persons from a burning suitable means such as bolts passing through the building and relates more particularly to a device holes I I formed in said bracket i@ and said bracgj, of this kind whereby the speed of descent may ket is formed with a boss l2 having a vertical bore 5 be controlled and stops made at intermediate I3 to which is swingably mounted by the pin I5 points between the window at which it is attached the rear member HJ of the swinging arm; the Din and the ground, and the body holding means may E5 is retained in place by the transverse pins 43. after each descent be returned to the window from This rear arm member i4 iS provided with the the ground. aligned bearings 2li for the pin t5 and also a 10 While I am aware that devices for this purpose threaded upper hole il for the threaded rear end have been devised which employ a body belt and of the upper brace rod 22 and a lower hole I8 rope attached to the window Casing, they employ for the inner end of the lower brace rod 23 which a hand operated brake for the rope which is atiS held Lbheren by the Din I9' it taohed to the body beit and adapted to siide down The outer end of this swinging arm is composed the rope therewith, thus creating great friction 0f a member 24 formed With an upper threaded and which can not be returned to the starting hole 2E for the outer threaded end of the upper point from the ground loutJ which must be puued brace rod 22 which is secured therein by the jam up from above and the brake returned to its nuts 21, and a lower hole i3 for the outer end of Original position adjacent to the upper end of the the lower brace rod 23 which is retained therein 2O rope before the next person can descend. by the pin 23- The object of the invention is to provide a The lOWeI pOltiOl Of this afmy member 24 iS rope type fire escape or means of descent from C111? aWaY aS at 45 f01` the 10l3e brake-bleek 3| a building for one or morepersons, and by which which is formed with the tapped holes 32 for the stops may be made at intervening points between attaehng SCreWS 30 by which it iS Secured t0 the 25 the Starting place and the ground to take on member 24 through the holes 29; the outer end of other persons. l this block 3| is provided with the tapped holes 33 Another object of the invention is to provide a for the screws 34 by which it is secured to the devioe of this kind in which after a person has lov/e1` end portion of a flat brace 3e.

reached the ground the belt can readily and The upper end of Whiebs Secured to the mem- 30 quickly be returned to the starting point from the bel' 24 by the SCleWS 44 threaded therein.

ground and in proper position 0r adjustment for The I'Ope brake-10100K 3| 1S preferably 0f metal the next person to descend thereby. but may be of any suitable material and is pro- Another object of the invention is to provide vided with an angular or tortuous passage im in a device of this kind means whereby the rate extending from the top to the bottom thereof and 35 of speed of travel of the person downward can be 0f a diameter Suitable G0y efeCt a Sliding t fOl regulated by auch person the rope 3l which is threaded therethrough.

Another object of the invention is to provide a To the end of that pOItOIl 0f the TODe 3"I that device that may be mounted within a room or extends downward from the bottom of the block im outside of a window and which shall be simple 3| is secured a snap catch 38 to which are detach- Lm of operation, contain few parts and be positive in ably secured the rings Il of the body belt fII;

its action. while that portion of the rope el that extends In the drawing: from the upper face of the block 3| is intended to Figure 1 shows the device attached to the inbe dropped over the side of the block 3i to the L5 ner side of a window casing with the swinging ground. 45

arm extending outward through the open win- While the angles 0f the tOltUlOllS passage 35 dow. may vary for diierent weights to be placed on the Figure 2 shows a longitudinal sectional view of rope, it has been found that 50 degrees is the most the device illustrating the detailed construction satisfactory.

and combination of parts. In the operation of the device, the person de- 50 Figure 3 is an end View of the same. siring to descend from the window passes the Figure 4 is an enlarged detail sectional View body-belt around the body under the arms and seof the friction brake-block. cures the ends by the rings 40 to the snap 38 of Referring to the drawing: the portion of the rope 3l extending from the The invention as herewith shown and described bottom of the block 3 I, and then drops the upper 55 portion of the rope 31 that extends from the top of the block 3| tothe ground.

He then lets himself out of the window by grasping hold of the upper portion of the rope 31 thus being able to regulate the rate of speed of the rope passing through the passage in the block 3|, and also being able to stop the descent at any point such as other windows to take on other persons, which can be done by a very slight pull upon the rope due to the angle at which the passage through the block is formed.

When the passenger has reached the ground he can return the body belt back to the Window by pulling on the upper portion of the rope which when no load is on the lower portion will easily slide through the passage in the block, and in this manner the body belt may be quickly returned for repeated use.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

In a lire-escape of the class described, a rectangular brake-block hingedly connected with a support therefor, and formed with a vertically disposed tortuous rope-passage therein, a rope threaded through said rope-passage with its free end extending directly downward from the lower` face of said block, the remaining portion of said rope projecting from the upper face of said block and extending downward over the side of the block.

JAMES H. BRIGGS. 

